Never rust aluminum tile trim, the wise choice for tile trims

Never rust aluminum tile trim, the wise choice for tile trims

Never rust aluminum tile trim, the wise choice for tile trims

Aluminum tile trim never rust

Rust compromises the mechanical characteristics of metal, alters the chemical properties, and is (usually) not considered aesthetically pleasing.

It is for these reasons that many people in charge of design and material selection try to avoid having to deal with rust and the negative effects that come with it.

One way to eliminate the threat of rust is to use metals that don’t rust.

Aluminum tile trim cannot rust

This is because of the fact that rust is iron oxide, and most aluminum has virtually no iron in its composition.

However, aluminum does oxidize, but it actually protects the underlying unoxidized aluminum.

This is because the aluminum oxide is more corrosion resistant than the aluminum alloy it rests on.

This is different than rust, because rust will flake away from an iron alloy thus allowing the rusting process to continue until material failure.

Rust refers only to iron and steel corrosion.

Aluminum corrodes but it does not rust.

Aluminum is actually very prone to corrosion.

However, aluminum corrosion is aluminum oxide, a very hard material that actually protects the aluminum from further corrosion.

Aluminum oxide corrosion also looks a lot more like aluminum (dull gray to powdery white in color), so it isn’t as easy to notice as rusted iron.

When iron corrodes the color changes and it actually expands.

This expanding and color change can produce large red flakes that we all know as rust.

Unlike aluminum oxide, the expanding and flaking off of rust exposes new metal to further rusting.

This is why it is so important to provide a barrier so rust doesn’t start.

Aluminium corrosion resistance is very good in untreated aluminium. Untreated aluminium has very good corrosion resistance in most environments.

This is primarily because aluminium spontaneously forms a thin but effective oxide layer that prevents further oxidation.

Aluminium oxide is impermeable and, unlike the oxide layers on many other metals, it adheres strongly to the parent metal.

If damaged mechanically, aluminium’s oxide layer repairs itself immediately.

This oxide layer is one of the main reasons for aluminium’s good corrosion properties.

The layer is stable in the general pH range 4 – 9.

Honstar Aluminum Products offer various mechanical finishes and chemical finishes to aluminum tile trim for the natural corrosion, like brushing, polishing, sand blasting, anodizing, powder coating and bright dipping anodizing.

This can not only make aluminum tile trim corrosion resistance, but also more colors and more pattern.